TEN years after it imposed a moratorium, the Commission on Higher Education has once again allowed schools to offer nursing programs.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said that the moratorium was reviewed because of the pandemic.

In 2011, the commission barred schools from opening nursing programs because of the oversupply of nursing graduates who found it difficult to land jobs.

De Vera urged state universities and colleges to apply to offer BS Nursing, adding that there was a sparse number of nursing schools in Caraga, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, Soccsksargen and Bangsamoro.

De Vera said that CHEd conducted several studies before deciding to lift the nursing ban.

“We must ensure the problems encountered before will not happen now,” he explained.

One of the requirements was for the learning institution to have a base hospital to ensure the nursing students can train.

“I know there are many who want to open but if there are no base hospitals in the area, it’s going to be difficult to allow the opening of nursing programs where the students cannot train in hospitals. ‘Yan ang isang naging problema dati,” he said.